1. Field
Example embodiments relate to light generating apparatuses and methods of controlling the same, for example, a light generating apparatus that manufactures a one-dimensional, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional nano pattern having various periods and/or directions, and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A diffracting grating (e.g., a device for diffracting light to a desired direction by using diffraction and/or interference) may be formed by engraving various parallel lines at narrow intervals in a flat glass or a concave metal plate. When light is radiated to a diffracting grating, the transmitted and/or reflected light may cause a light spectrum according to the wavelength of the light.
The diffracting grating may disperse light better than a prism. Also, the diffracting grating's spectrum band may not decrease as it spans toward the red side, which may have a relatively long wavelength. Instead, the diffracting grating's spectrum bands may be uniform from the red regions on through to the violet regions (e.g., all the wavelengths in visible light). Also, the spectrum bands of 1st, 2nd and/or 3rd orders may be exhibited in parallel.
Conventionally, laser beam interference emitted from a light source may manufacture a diffraction grating. Such a conventional manufacturing method may control the grating period of a diffraction grating. However, the direction of the grating itself, once made, is geometrically unchangeable. Thus, the direction of the diffraction, which may be caused by chromatic dispersion, may not be controlled.
To address such concerns, a dot matrix system that may freely control grating period and/or direction of a diffraction grating has been proposed. In such a system, a light beam may be transmitted in various directions without chromatic dispersion, which may permit a desired light distribution.
In the dot matrix system, a diffractive optical element (DOE) pattern is used in order to form a diffraction grating pattern. In addition, a motor driver rotating the DOE pattern may change the grating direction of a diffraction grating. However, since the motor driver may operate at a low speed, patterning time may increase. In addition, a method of electrically changing a DOE pattern has also been proposed in order to change the grating direction of a diffraction grating. However, this method may only manufacture a previously calculated pattern.